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History of Seychelles

The history of Seychelles dates back to the fourth of the Portuguese India Armadas led by Vasco da Gama, though Seychelles was likely already known to Arab navigators and other sailors for many centuries. On 15 March 1503, the scrivener Thomé Lopes noted the sighting of an elevated island, doubtless one of the granitic islands and almost certainly Silhouette Island. The first recorded landing was by the men of the English East India Company ship Ascension, which arrived in Seychelles in January 1609.The islands were claimed by France in 1756. Seychelles remained uninhabited until the first settlers arrived on board the ship Thélemaque, which arrived on 27 August 1770. Captain Leblanc Lecore landed the first colonists, comprising 15 white men, eight Africans and five Indians. The Seychellois Creole language developed as a means of communication between the different races. The British frigate Orpheus commanded by Captain Henry Newcome arrived at Mahé on 16 May 1794. Terms of capitulation were drawn up and the next day Seychelles was surrendered to Britain. Following the fall of Mauritius to British forces, Captain Phillip Beaver of the Nisus arrived at Mahé on 23 April 1811 and took possession of Seychelles as a permanent colony of Britain. The Seychelles became an independent republic in 1976. Following a coup d'état, a socialist one-party state ruled the country from 1977 to 1993. The subsequent democratic Presidential elections were won by candidates of the same party.[1]

The Seychelles History Museum in Victoria, Seychelles, the former Supreme Court building.

Pre-colonial history

The early (pre-European colonisation) history of Isle de Séchelles or Seychelles is unknown. Austronesians from Borneo, who eventually settled on Madagascar, perhaps lingered here circa 200-300 AD. Arab navigators, on trading voyages across the Indian Ocean, were probably aware of the islands, although they did not settle them.

Arabs were trading the highly valued coco de mer nuts, found only in Seychelles, long before European discovery of the islands. The rotted-out nuts can float and were found washed ashore in the Maldives and Indonesia.

Age of Discoveries and colonisation

On 15 March 1503, Vasco da Gama, crossing from India to East Africa, sighted what was almost certainly Silhouette Island and the next day, Desroches Island. The granitic islands began to appear on Portuguese charts as the Seven Sisters.

In March 1608, a trading fleet of the English East India Company set sail for India. Lost in a storm, the Ascension's crew saw "high land" on 19 January 1609 and headed for it. They anchored "as in a pond". They found an uninhabited island with plentiful fresh water, fish, coconuts, birds, turtles and giant tortoises with which to replenish their stores. The Ascension sailed, and reported what they had found, but the British took no action.

Towards the end of the 17th century, pirates arrived in the Indian Ocean from the Caribbean and made a base in Madagascar, from where they preyed upon vessels approaching and leaving the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf.

The French had occupied the Isle de France (now Mauritius) since 1715. This colony was growing in importance, and in 1735 an energetic administrator, Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais (1699–1753) was appointed. His brief was to protect the French sea route to India. La Bourdonnais, himself a sailor, turned his attention to making a speedier passage from Mauritius to India. To this end, in 1742, he sent an expedition under the command of Lazare Picault to accurately chart the islands northeast of Madagascar.

On 21 November 1742, the Elisabeth and the Charles anchored off Mahé at Anse Boileau (not Baie Lazare, later mistakenly named as Picault's landing place). They found a land of plenty. In fact, Picault named the island Ile d'Abondance. Picault's mapping was poor, so in 1744 he was sent back and renamed the main island Mahé (in honor of his patron Mahé de La Bourdonnais), and the group the Iles de la Bourdonnais. He had high hopes for the Iles de la Bourdonnais. However, the islands were once more forgotten when La Bourdonnais was replaced in 1746.

French settlement and rule

Isle of Seychelles
1770–1810
 
CapitalL'Etablissment
Commandant 
• 1793–1810
Jean-Baptiste Qeau de Quincy
ISO 3166 codeSC
Preceded by
Succeeded by

The outbreak in 1754 of what would become the Seven Years' War between England and France reminded the authorities on Mauritius about the islands. Two ships were sent to claim them, commanded by Corneille Nicholas Morphey. He renamed the largest island Isle de Séchelles in honour of Viscount Jean Moreau de Séchelles, Minister of Finance during the reign of Louis XV (later Anglicised as Seychelles). This name was later used for the island group, whilst Mahé was again used for the largest granitic island. Morphey took possession for the French king and the French East India Company on 1 November 1756.[2]

The end of the Seven Years' War, with France's loss of Canada and its status in India, caused the decline of the French East India Company, which had formerly controlled Mauritius. This settlement, and thus Seychelles, now came under direct royal authority. The new intendant of Mauritius, Pierre Poivre (1719–1786), was determined to break the Dutch monopoly of the lucrative spice trade; he thought Mahé would be perfect for spice cultivation.

In 1768, Nicolas Dufresne arranged a commercial venture, sending ships to collect timber and tortoises from the Seychelles. During this expedition, French sovereignty was extended to cover all the islands of the granitic group on Christmas Day.

In 1769, the navigators Rochon and Grenier proved that a faster route to India could safely be taken via the Seychelles, and thus the importance of the islands' strategic position was realised. Meanwhile, Poivre had finally obtained seedlings of nutmeg and clove, and 10,000 nutmeg seeds. His attempts to propagate them on Mauritius and Bourbon (later named Réunion) met with little success, and he thought again of Seychelles. It was considered fortuitous when Brayer du Barré (unknown-1777) arrived on Mauritius with royal permission to run a settlement on St Anne at his own expense.

On 12 August 1770, 15 white colonists, seven slaves, five Indians and one black woman settled on St Anne. Du Barré stayed in Mauritius seeking funds. After reports of initial success, he begged the government for more money. However, reports reached the authorities that ship captains could get no supplies of fresh produce from the islands. Du Barré's appeals for help to Mauritius and Versailles fell on deaf ears. In desperation, he went to the Seychelles to try and rescue the situation, but to no avail. A ruined man, he left for India and died there shortly afterwards.

French colonists then brought large numbers of creole slaves from Mauritius to the Seychelles - they became the ancestors of the present population.

In 1771, Poivre sent Antoine Gillot to Seychelles to establish a spice garden. By August 1772, Du Barré's people had abandoned St Anne and moved to Mahé or returned home. Gillot worked on at Anse Royale, establishing nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and pepper plants.

When British ships were seen around Seychelles, the authorities were spurred into action, despatching a garrison under Lieutenant de Romainville. They built Etablissement du Roi (Royal Settlement) on the site of modern Victoria. Gillot was nominally in charge of the civilian colonists but had no real authority over them. Mauritius sent as replacement a man of stronger mettle, Jean Baptiste Philogene de Malavois, who assumed command of the settlement in 1788. He drew up 30 decrees which protected the timber and tortoises. In future, only sound farming techniques and careful husbanding of resources would be tolerated.

The British frigate Orpheus commanded by Captain Henry Newcome arrived at Mahé on 16 May 1794, together with the Centurion, the Resistance and two prizes. An officer was sent ashore to request provisions and water. Quinssy proposed that having no means to oppose the enemy, the colony should surrender. Terms of capitulation were drawn up and the next day Seychelles was surrendered to Britain. The Centurion returned to Seychelles four years later in September 1798 and renewed the capitulation.

The Quincy era

In 1790, as a result of the French Revolution, the settlers formed a Colonial Assembly and decided they would run their colony themselves, according to their own constitution. Land in Seychelles should only go to the children of existing colonists, who should dispose of the colony's produce as they chose, not as Mauritius dictated. They deemed the abolition of slavery impossible because they believed that without free labour, the colony could not survive.

 
1969 stamp commemorating the British occupation of 1794

Jean-Baptiste Queau de Quincy (1748–1827) took command of the colony in 1794. A wily man, he used skill and expediency to steer Seychelles through the years of war ahead. Seychelles acted as a haven for French corsairs (pirates carrying lettres de marque entitling them to prey legally on enemy shipping). Quincy hoped this might go unnoticed, but in 1794 a squadron of three British ships arrived led by the frigate "Orpheus" commanded by Henry Newcome. Quinssy proposed that having no means to oppose the enemy, the colony should surrender. Terms of capitulation were drawn up and the next day Seychelles was surrendered to Britain.

The British made no effort to take over the Seychelles; it was considered a waste of resources. The settlers decided that unless they were sent a garrison, they could not be expected to defend the French flag. Therefore, they would remain neutral, supplying all comers. The strategy worked. The colony flourished. Quincy's favourable terms of capitulation were renewed seven times during the visits of British ships.

On 11 July 1801, the French frigate Chiffonne arrived with a cargo of French prisoners sent into exile by Napoleon. Then HMS Sybille arrived. Quincy had to try to defend the Chiffonne, but after a brief battle, the Chiffonne was taken. Captain Adam of the Sybille wanted to know why Quincy had interfered, in contravention of his capitulation terms. Quincy managed to talk his way out of the difficulty, and even persuaded Adam to agree to Seychelles' vessels flying a flag bearing the words "Seychelles Capitulation", allowing them to pass through the British blockade of Mauritius unmolested.

15 September 1801 was the date of a memorable sea battle just off the settlement. The British ship Victor was seriously disabled by damage to her rigging, but she was able to manoeuvre broadside to the French vessel La Flêche and rake her with incessant fire. La Flêche began to sink. Rather than surrender her, her captain ran her aground, torching her before abandoning ship. The opposing commanders met ashore afterwards, the Englishman warmly congratulating his French counterpart on his courage and skill during the battle.

The British tightened the blockade on the French Indian Ocean colonies. Réunion surrendered, followed in December 1810 by Mauritius. In April 1811, Captain Beaver arrived in Seychelles on the Nisus to announce the preferential terms of Quincy's capitulation should stand, but Seychelles must recognise the terms of the Mauritian surrender. Beaver left behind a Royal Marine, Lieutenant Bartholomew Sullivan, to monitor the Seychelles situation.

British rule

Crown Colony of the Seychelles
1903–1976
Anthem: God Save the Queen (1952–1976)
CapitalVictoria
Monarch 
• 1903–1910
King Edward VII
• 1952–1976
Queen Elizabeth II
Governor 
• 1903–1904
Ernest Bickham Sweet-Escott
• 1973–1976
Colin Hamilton Allan
ISO 3166 codeSC

There was little Sullivan could do alone to stop the settlers continuing to provision French frigates and slavers. Slave ownership was not then against British law, although slave trading was illegal. Sullivan, later given the title of Civil Agent, played cat and mouse with the pro-slaver colonists. Once, acting on a tip off, Sullivan was rowed over to Praslin and was able to confiscate a cargo of newly landed slaves. It was but a small triumph amidst many frustrations, and Sullivan, complaining that the Seychellois had "no sense of honour, shame or honesty", resigned.

The first civilian administrator of the British regime was Edward Madge. He had a bitter feud with Quincy, who remained in the administration as Justice of the Peace. In the following years, the islands became a backwater ticking over quietly. Seychellois landowners had a pleasant life, though making ends meet given the fickle markets for their produce was not always easy. The British had allowed all customary French practices to remain in place. The administrator may have been British, reporting to London, but he governed according to French rules. The biggest grievance the colonists had with their new masters was the colony's dependence on Mauritius.

The other cloud on the planters' horizon was British anti-slavery legislation. In 1835, slavery was completely abolished. The plantations were already in decline, their soils exhausted by years of cultivation without investment in renewing fertility. Some planters took their slaves and left. The liberated slaves had no land, and most squatted on the estates they had tended in bondage, and the colony entered a period of stagnation. There were no exports and no money to pay for new infrastructure.

The situation was only improved when planters realised they could grow coconuts with less labour and more profit than the traditional crops of cotton, sugar, rice, and maize. Soon, they also had a source of virtually free labour once again. The British took their anti-slavery stance seriously, and operated patrols along the East African coast, raiding Arab dhows transporting slaves to the Middle East. Slaves liberated south of the Equator were brought to Seychelles and apprenticed to plantation owners. They worked the land in return for rations and wages. Over a period of thirteen years from 1861, around 2,400 men, women and children were brought to Seychelles.

The town, called Victoria since 1841, began to grow. Licences granted in 1879 give some idea of the range of businesses in the town. There was a druggist, two auctioneers, five retailers, four liquor stores, a notary, an attorney, a jeweller, and a watchmaker.

There was a disaster on 12 October 1862, when torrential rain and strong winds hit Mahé. An avalanche of mud and rocks fell on the town from the hills. It has been estimated that over 70 people lost their lives.

Crown Colony

 
Flag of Seychelles (1903–1961)

Seychellois officials wanted Seychelles to organized as a separate autonomous colony within the British Empire, and the authorities in the mother colony, Mauritius, supported them. Sir Arthur Gordon, the Mauritian governor, sent a petition on their behalf to London. Concessions were made, but Seychelles did not become a Crown Colony in its own right until 1903 when its first Governor, Sir Ernest Bickham Sweet-Escott took office. Befitting its new status, the colony acquired a botanical garden and a clock tower in the heart of Victoria. The French language and culture remained dominant, however.

The British, like the French before them, saw Seychelles as a useful place to exile troublesome political prisoners. Over the years, Seychelles became a home to prisoners from Zanzibar, Egypt, Cyprus and Palestine, to name but a few. The first in the line of exiles was Sultan Abdullah, a sultan in Perak including Lela Pandak Lam, the ex-chief of Pasir Salak in Perak who arrived in 1875 after their implication in the murder of the British Resident of Perak, JW Birch. Like many of the exiles who followed, they settled well into Seychelles life and became genuinely fond of the islands. Sultan Abdullah's son took home with him one of the popular local French tunes by the islanders la rosalè and incorporated it into the national anthem of his country. With new words, it later became Negaraku, the national anthem of Malaysia.

Perhaps the most famous of the political prisoners was Archbishop Makarios from Cyprus, who arrived in 1956. He likewise fell in love with his prison. "When our ship leaves harbour", he wrote, "we shall take with us many good and kindly memories of the Seychelles...may God bless them all."

World War I caused great hardship in the islands. Ships could not bring in essential goods, nor take away exports. Wages fell; prices soared by 150 percent. Many turned to crime and the prisons were bursting. Joining the Seychelles Labour Contingent, formed at the request of General Smuts, seemed to offer an escape. It was no easy option, however. The force, 800 strong, was sent to East Africa. After just five months, so many had died from dysentery, malaria and beriberi that the corps was sent home. In all, 335 men died.

By the end of World War I, the population of Seychelles was 24,000 and they were feeling neglected by Great Britain. There was agitation from the newly formed Planters Association for greater representation in the governance of Seychelles affairs. After 1929, a more liberal flow of funds was ensured by the Colonial Development Act, but it was a time of economic depression; the price of copra was falling and so were wages. Workers petitioned the government about their poor working conditions and the burden of tax they had to bear. Governor Sir Arthur Grimble instigated some reforms, exempting lower income groups from taxation. He was keen to create model housing and distribute smallholdings for the landless. Many of his reforms were not approved until World War II had broken out, and everything was put on hold.

The Planters Association lobbied for the white landowners, but until 1937 those who worked for them had no voice. The League of Coloured Peoples was formed to demand a minimum wage, a wage tribunal and free health care for all. During World War II, a seaplane depot was established on St Anne to monitor regional shipping. A garrison was stationed in the islands and a battery built at Pointe Conan to protect the harbour. Some 2,000 Seychellois men served in the Pioneer Companies in Egypt, Palestine and Italy.

At home, Seychelles had turmoil of its own. The first political party, the Taxpayers Association, was formed in 1939. A British governor described it as "the embodiment of every reactionary force in Seychelles", and it was entirely concerned with protecting the interests of the plantocracy. After the war, they also benefited by being granted the vote, which was limited to literate property owners; just 2,000 in a population of 36,000. At the first elections, in 1948, most of those elected to the Legislative Council were predictably members of the Planters and Taxpayers Association.

In 1958, the French bought back the Glorioso islands from the Seychelles.

Independence

 
Flag of Seychelles (1961–1976)
 
Colonial Governor of the Seychelles inspecting police guard of honour in 1972
 
Victoria's State House in the 1970s

It was not until 1964 that any new political movements were created. In that year, the Seychelles People's United Party (SPUP, later Seychelles People's Progressive Front, SPPF) was formed. Led by France-Albert René, they campaigned for socialism and independence from Britain. The late James Mancham's Seychelles Democratic Party (SDP), created the same year, by contrast represented businessmen and planters and wanted closer integration with Britain.

Elections were held in 1966, won by the SDP.

In March 1970, colonial and political representatives of Seychelles met in London for a constitutional convention, with the Seychelles Democratic Party (SDP) of James Mancham advocating closer integration with the UK, and the Seychelles People's United Party (SPUP) of France-Albert René advocating independence. Further elections in November 1970 brought a new constitution into effect, with Mancham as Chief Minister. Further elections were held in April 1974, in which both major political parties campaigned for independence. Following this election, negotiations with the British resulted in an agreement under which the Seychelles became an independent republic within the Commonwealth on June 29, 1976. The newly knighted Sir James Mancham became the country's first President, with René as Prime Minister. These negotiations also restored the islands of Aldabra, Farquhar, and Des Roches, which had been transferred from Seychelles in November 1965 to form part of the new British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), to Seychelles upon independence.

One-party state

Republic of Seychelles
1977–2004
 
CapitalVictoria
GovernmentUnitary one-party socialist republic
President 
• 1977-2004
France-Albert René
LegislaturePeople's Assembly
History 
• 1977 Coup
4–5 June 1977
• James Michel became president
14 July 2004
CurrencyRoupie
ISO 3166 codeSC
Today part ofSeychelles
 
France-Albert René, Seychelloi president (1977–2004)

On June 5, 1977, a coup d'état saw Mancham deposed while overseas, and France-Albert René became president. The Seychelles became a one-party state, with the SPUP becoming the Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF).

History

In 1981, the country experienced a failed coup attempt by Mike Hoare and a team of South African-backed mercenaries. The author John Perkins has alleged that this was part of a covert action to re-install the pro-American former president in the face of concerns about United States access to its military bases in Diego Garcia.[3][better source needed]

The government was threatened again by an army mutiny in August 1982, but it was quelled after 2 days when loyal troops, reinforced by Tanzanian forces & several of the mercenaries that had escaped from the prison,[4] recaptured the rebel-held installations.

Gérard Hoarau, of the exiled opposition, was head of the Mouvement Pour La Resistance (MPR).[5] His opposition to the dictatorship of René was based in London and he was assassinated on 29 November 1985 by an unidentified gunman on the doorstep of his London home. Hoarau is buried in London.

The SPPF instituted a number of reforms, including universal access to education and healthcare, as well as environmental reforms. During this period, the Seychelles developed rapidly, to the point that it became the most developed country in Africa on the Human Development Index. The situation for Seychellois Creole people, who constitute the majority of the nation's population, also improved significantly due to domestic policies implemented by President René aimed at racial equity. However, the white minority (mainly Franco-Seychellois) still occupied most important posts (ministerial and parliamentary) in the state administration and dominated the ranks of the party leadership.[6]

In 1985, after the assassination of Hoarau, the Seychelles community in exile put together a program titled SIROP (Seychelles International Repatriation and Onward Program).

In February 1992, Conrad Greslé, a local accountant, landowner and advocate of multi-party democracy in Seychelles was arrested and charged with treason for allegedly planning to overthrow President René's régime with the apparent aid of foreign mercenaries and with supposed CIA involvement. Greslé died in Seychelles in July 1993 and is survived by his wife Sylvia, son Neville and daughters Natasha and Yvette Greslé.[7]

A number of Seychellois were displaced and exiled by the dictatorship. The Greslé family were one of a few landowners of largely French descent to remain after the coup d'état of 1977 – most had their land confiscated and were exiled. Any individual who publicly resisted the René régime was vulnerable to threats, intimidation, or exile throughout the 1980s. Disappearances and what appear to be politically motivated killing did take place but these are not officially documented or acknowledged.[citation needed] A number of Seychellois families are now calling for official acknowledgement of politically motivated violence subsequent to the 1977 coup.

Democracy

 

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, at an Extraordinary Congress of the Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF) on 4 December 1991, President René announced a return to the multiparty system of government after almost 16 years of one-party rule. On 27 December 1991, the Constitution of Seychelles was amended to allow for the registration of political parties. Among the exiles returning to Seychelles was James Mancham, who returned in April 1992 to revive his party, the Democratic Party (DP). By the end of that month, eight political parties had registered to contest the first stage of the transition process: election to the constitutional commission, which took place on 23–26 July 1992.

The constitutional commission was made up of 22 elected members, 14 from the SPPF and 8 from the DP. It commenced work on 27 August 1992, with both President René and Mancham calling for national reconciliation and consensus on a new democratic constitution. A consensus text was agreed upon on 7 May 1993, and a referendum to approve it was called for 15–18 June. The draft was approved with 73.9% of the electorate in favor of it and 24.1% against.

The first multiparty presidential and legislative elections held under the new constitution was held between 23–26 July 1993, as well as a resounding victory for President René. Three political groups contested the elections – the SPPF, the DP, and the United Opposition (UO) – a coalition of three smaller political parties, including Parti Seselwa. Two other smaller opposition parties threw in their lot with the DP. All participating parties and international observer groups accepted the results as "free and fair."

Three candidates contested the 20–22 March 1998 presidential election: France-Albert René of the SPPF, James Mancham of the DP, and Wavel Ramkalawan. President René and his SPPF won by a landslide. The president's popularity in elections jumped to 66.6% in 1998 from 59.5% in 1993, while the SPPF garnered 61.7% of the total votes cast in the 1998 National Assembly election, compared to 56.5% in 1993.

In 1999, Mancham switched to the centrist liberal Seychelles National Party (SNP) which emerged as the major opposition party, losing to the SPPF in 2002 parliamentary election with 42% of the vote. In 2004, René turned the presidency over to his former vice-president and long-time comrade, James Michel. Michel won the 2006 presidential election against SNP leader Ramkalawan with 53.5% of the vote. The former vice-president, Danny Faure, was sworn in as president on October 16th 2016, following the surprise resignation of James Michel.[8]

On 26th October 2020, the opposition took power in the Seychelles for the first time since 1977, following its victory in the presidential election. Anglican priest Wavel Ramkalawan defeated President Danny Faure by 54.9% to 43.5%.[9]

The election of the National Assembly was held on the 22-24 October 2020. The Seychelles National Party, the Seychelles Party for Social Justice and Democracy and the Seychelles United Party formed a coalition, Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS). LDS won 25 seats and the former ruling party United Seychelles (US) (Formerly Parti Lepep, Seychelles People's Progressive Front) won 10 seats of the 35 seats of the National Assembly.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ Coen, 1974.
  2. ^ Fauvel, Albert-Auguste. "Unpublished Documents on the History of the Seychelles Islands Anterior to 1810". Government Printing Office, Mahé, Seychelles, via the World Digital Library. from the original on 2014-07-07. Retrieved 2014-06-19.
  3. ^ . Democracy Now. 5 June 2007. Archived from the original on 13 June 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-06.
  4. ^ SABC (14 June 2011). "TRC Episode 74, Part 05". from the original on 14 May 2018 – via YouTube.
  5. ^ "AROUND THE WORLD; Exiled Seychelles Leader Is Shot Dead in London". New York Times. November 30, 1985. from the original on August 28, 2016.
  6. ^ Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Report Submitted to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives and Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate by the Department of State in Accordance with Sections 116(d) and 502B(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as Amended, Volumes 8-15. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1997. ISBN 0160541905.
  7. ^ James Mancham, Seychelles: Personalities of Yesterday (Seychelles: Mahé Publications, 2005).
  8. ^ "Danny Faure sworn in as new president".
  9. ^ "Seychelles election: Wavel Ramkalawan in landmark win". BBC News. 25 October 2020.
  10. ^ "EISA Seychelles: 2020 National Assembly election results overview".

Further reading

  • George Bennett, compiler ; with the collaboration of Pramila Ramgulam Bennett. (1993). Seychelles. Santa Barbara, California: Clio Press. ISBN 0-585-06169-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • J. Coen, "The Seychelles" History Today (Nov 1974), Vol. 24 Issue 11, pp 799–803 online.
  • William McAteer. (2000). The history of Seychelles from discovery to independence. Mahé, Seychelles: Pristine Books. ISBN 99931-809-0-4.
  • Francis MacGregor (2004). A parliamentary history of Seychelles. Seychelles: F.E. MacGregor. ISBN 99931-60-00-8.
  • Deryck Scarr. (2000). Seychelles since 1770 : a history of slave and post-slavery society. London: Hurst. ISBN 1-85065-364-X.

External links

  • Background Note: Seychelles
  • Seychelles History
  • A History of Seychelles flags

history, seychelles, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, februa. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources History of Seychelles news newspapers books scholar JSTOR February 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message The history of Seychelles dates back to the fourth of the Portuguese India Armadas led by Vasco da Gama though Seychelles was likely already known to Arab navigators and other sailors for many centuries On 15 March 1503 the scrivener Thome Lopes noted the sighting of an elevated island doubtless one of the granitic islands and almost certainly Silhouette Island The first recorded landing was by the men of the English East India Company ship Ascension which arrived in Seychelles in January 1609 The islands were claimed by France in 1756 Seychelles remained uninhabited until the first settlers arrived on board the ship Thelemaque which arrived on 27 August 1770 Captain Leblanc Lecore landed the first colonists comprising 15 white men eight Africans and five Indians The Seychellois Creole language developed as a means of communication between the different races The British frigate Orpheus commanded by Captain Henry Newcome arrived at Mahe on 16 May 1794 Terms of capitulation were drawn up and the next day Seychelles was surrendered to Britain Following the fall of Mauritius to British forces Captain Phillip Beaver of the Nisus arrived at Mahe on 23 April 1811 and took possession of Seychelles as a permanent colony of Britain The Seychelles became an independent republic in 1976 Following a coup d etat a socialist one party state ruled the country from 1977 to 1993 The subsequent democratic Presidential elections were won by candidates of the same party 1 The Seychelles History Museum in Victoria Seychelles the former Supreme Court building Contents 1 Pre colonial history 2 Age of Discoveries and colonisation 3 French settlement and rule 4 The Quincy era 5 British rule 5 1 Crown Colony 6 Independence 7 One party state 7 1 History 8 Democracy 9 See also 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External linksPre colonial history EditThe early pre European colonisation history of Isle de Sechelles or Seychelles is unknown Austronesians from Borneo who eventually settled on Madagascar perhaps lingered here circa 200 300 AD Arab navigators on trading voyages across the Indian Ocean were probably aware of the islands although they did not settle them Arabs were trading the highly valued coco de mer nuts found only in Seychelles long before European discovery of the islands The rotted out nuts can float and were found washed ashore in the Maldives and Indonesia Age of Discoveries and colonisation EditOn 15 March 1503 Vasco da Gama crossing from India to East Africa sighted what was almost certainly Silhouette Island and the next day Desroches Island The granitic islands began to appear on Portuguese charts as the Seven Sisters In March 1608 a trading fleet of the English East India Company set sail for India Lost in a storm the Ascension s crew saw high land on 19 January 1609 and headed for it They anchored as in a pond They found an uninhabited island with plentiful fresh water fish coconuts birds turtles and giant tortoises with which to replenish their stores The Ascension sailed and reported what they had found but the British took no action Towards the end of the 17th century pirates arrived in the Indian Ocean from the Caribbean and made a base in Madagascar from where they preyed upon vessels approaching and leaving the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf The French had occupied the Isle de France now Mauritius since 1715 This colony was growing in importance and in 1735 an energetic administrator Bertrand Francois Mahe de La Bourdonnais 1699 1753 was appointed His brief was to protect the French sea route to India La Bourdonnais himself a sailor turned his attention to making a speedier passage from Mauritius to India To this end in 1742 he sent an expedition under the command of Lazare Picault to accurately chart the islands northeast of Madagascar On 21 November 1742 the Elisabeth and the Charles anchored off Mahe at Anse Boileau not Baie Lazare later mistakenly named as Picault s landing place They found a land of plenty In fact Picault named the island Ile d Abondance Picault s mapping was poor so in 1744 he was sent back and renamed the main island Mahe in honor of his patron Mahe de La Bourdonnais and the group the Iles de la Bourdonnais He had high hopes for the Iles de la Bourdonnais However the islands were once more forgotten when La Bourdonnais was replaced in 1746 French settlement and rule EditIsle of Seychelles1770 1810 FlagCapitalL EtablissmentCommandant 1793 1810Jean Baptiste Qeau de QuincyISO 3166 codeSCPreceded by Succeeded by History of the Seychelles British Mauritius The outbreak in 1754 of what would become the Seven Years War between England and France reminded the authorities on Mauritius about the islands Two ships were sent to claim them commanded by Corneille Nicholas Morphey He renamed the largest island Isle de Sechelles in honour of Viscount Jean Moreau de Sechelles Minister of Finance during the reign of Louis XV later Anglicised as Seychelles This name was later used for the island group whilst Mahe was again used for the largest granitic island Morphey took possession for the French king and the French East India Company on 1 November 1756 2 The end of the Seven Years War with France s loss of Canada and its status in India caused the decline of the French East India Company which had formerly controlled Mauritius This settlement and thus Seychelles now came under direct royal authority The new intendant of Mauritius Pierre Poivre 1719 1786 was determined to break the Dutch monopoly of the lucrative spice trade he thought Mahe would be perfect for spice cultivation In 1768 Nicolas Dufresne arranged a commercial venture sending ships to collect timber and tortoises from the Seychelles During this expedition French sovereignty was extended to cover all the islands of the granitic group on Christmas Day In 1769 the navigators Rochon and Grenier proved that a faster route to India could safely be taken via the Seychelles and thus the importance of the islands strategic position was realised Meanwhile Poivre had finally obtained seedlings of nutmeg and clove and 10 000 nutmeg seeds His attempts to propagate them on Mauritius and Bourbon later named Reunion met with little success and he thought again of Seychelles It was considered fortuitous when Brayer du Barre unknown 1777 arrived on Mauritius with royal permission to run a settlement on St Anne at his own expense On 12 August 1770 15 white colonists seven slaves five Indians and one black woman settled on St Anne Du Barre stayed in Mauritius seeking funds After reports of initial success he begged the government for more money However reports reached the authorities that ship captains could get no supplies of fresh produce from the islands Du Barre s appeals for help to Mauritius and Versailles fell on deaf ears In desperation he went to the Seychelles to try and rescue the situation but to no avail A ruined man he left for India and died there shortly afterwards French colonists then brought large numbers of creole slaves from Mauritius to the Seychelles they became the ancestors of the present population In 1771 Poivre sent Antoine Gillot to Seychelles to establish a spice garden By August 1772 Du Barre s people had abandoned St Anne and moved to Mahe or returned home Gillot worked on at Anse Royale establishing nutmeg cloves cinnamon and pepper plants When British ships were seen around Seychelles the authorities were spurred into action despatching a garrison under Lieutenant de Romainville They built Etablissement du Roi Royal Settlement on the site of modern Victoria Gillot was nominally in charge of the civilian colonists but had no real authority over them Mauritius sent as replacement a man of stronger mettle Jean Baptiste Philogene de Malavois who assumed command of the settlement in 1788 He drew up 30 decrees which protected the timber and tortoises In future only sound farming techniques and careful husbanding of resources would be tolerated The British frigate Orpheus commanded by Captain Henry Newcome arrived at Mahe on 16 May 1794 together with the Centurion the Resistance and two prizes An officer was sent ashore to request provisions and water Quinssy proposed that having no means to oppose the enemy the colony should surrender Terms of capitulation were drawn up and the next day Seychelles was surrendered to Britain The Centurion returned to Seychelles four years later in September 1798 and renewed the capitulation The Quincy era EditIn 1790 as a result of the French Revolution the settlers formed a Colonial Assembly and decided they would run their colony themselves according to their own constitution Land in Seychelles should only go to the children of existing colonists who should dispose of the colony s produce as they chose not as Mauritius dictated They deemed the abolition of slavery impossible because they believed that without free labour the colony could not survive 1969 stamp commemorating the British occupation of 1794 Jean Baptiste Queau de Quincy 1748 1827 took command of the colony in 1794 A wily man he used skill and expediency to steer Seychelles through the years of war ahead Seychelles acted as a haven for French corsairs pirates carrying lettres de marque entitling them to prey legally on enemy shipping Quincy hoped this might go unnoticed but in 1794 a squadron of three British ships arrived led by the frigate Orpheus commanded by Henry Newcome Quinssy proposed that having no means to oppose the enemy the colony should surrender Terms of capitulation were drawn up and the next day Seychelles was surrendered to Britain The British made no effort to take over the Seychelles it was considered a waste of resources The settlers decided that unless they were sent a garrison they could not be expected to defend the French flag Therefore they would remain neutral supplying all comers The strategy worked The colony flourished Quincy s favourable terms of capitulation were renewed seven times during the visits of British ships On 11 July 1801 the French frigate Chiffonne arrived with a cargo of French prisoners sent into exile by Napoleon Then HMS Sybille arrived Quincy had to try to defend the Chiffonne but after a brief battle the Chiffonne was taken Captain Adam of the Sybille wanted to know why Quincy had interfered in contravention of his capitulation terms Quincy managed to talk his way out of the difficulty and even persuaded Adam to agree to Seychelles vessels flying a flag bearing the words Seychelles Capitulation allowing them to pass through the British blockade of Mauritius unmolested 15 September 1801 was the date of a memorable sea battle just off the settlement The British ship Victor was seriously disabled by damage to her rigging but she was able to manoeuvre broadside to the French vessel La Fleche and rake her with incessant fire La Fleche began to sink Rather than surrender her her captain ran her aground torching her before abandoning ship The opposing commanders met ashore afterwards the Englishman warmly congratulating his French counterpart on his courage and skill during the battle The British tightened the blockade on the French Indian Ocean colonies Reunion surrendered followed in December 1810 by Mauritius In April 1811 Captain Beaver arrived in Seychelles on the Nisus to announce the preferential terms of Quincy s capitulation should stand but Seychelles must recognise the terms of the Mauritian surrender Beaver left behind a Royal Marine Lieutenant Bartholomew Sullivan to monitor the Seychelles situation British rule EditCrown Colony of the Seychelles1903 1976 Flag Coat of armsAnthem God Save the Queen 1952 1976 CapitalVictoriaMonarch 1903 1910King Edward VII 1952 1976Queen Elizabeth IIGovernor 1903 1904Ernest Bickham Sweet Escott 1973 1976Colin Hamilton AllanISO 3166 codeSCPreceded by Succeeded by British Mauritius Seychelles Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean There was little Sullivan could do alone to stop the settlers continuing to provision French frigates and slavers Slave ownership was not then against British law although slave trading was illegal Sullivan later given the title of Civil Agent played cat and mouse with the pro slaver colonists Once acting on a tip off Sullivan was rowed over to Praslin and was able to confiscate a cargo of newly landed slaves It was but a small triumph amidst many frustrations and Sullivan complaining that the Seychellois had no sense of honour shame or honesty resigned The first civilian administrator of the British regime was Edward Madge He had a bitter feud with Quincy who remained in the administration as Justice of the Peace In the following years the islands became a backwater ticking over quietly Seychellois landowners had a pleasant life though making ends meet given the fickle markets for their produce was not always easy The British had allowed all customary French practices to remain in place The administrator may have been British reporting to London but he governed according to French rules The biggest grievance the colonists had with their new masters was the colony s dependence on Mauritius The other cloud on the planters horizon was British anti slavery legislation In 1835 slavery was completely abolished The plantations were already in decline their soils exhausted by years of cultivation without investment in renewing fertility Some planters took their slaves and left The liberated slaves had no land and most squatted on the estates they had tended in bondage and the colony entered a period of stagnation There were no exports and no money to pay for new infrastructure The situation was only improved when planters realised they could grow coconuts with less labour and more profit than the traditional crops of cotton sugar rice and maize Soon they also had a source of virtually free labour once again The British took their anti slavery stance seriously and operated patrols along the East African coast raiding Arab dhows transporting slaves to the Middle East Slaves liberated south of the Equator were brought to Seychelles and apprenticed to plantation owners They worked the land in return for rations and wages Over a period of thirteen years from 1861 around 2 400 men women and children were brought to Seychelles The town called Victoria since 1841 began to grow Licences granted in 1879 give some idea of the range of businesses in the town There was a druggist two auctioneers five retailers four liquor stores a notary an attorney a jeweller and a watchmaker There was a disaster on 12 October 1862 when torrential rain and strong winds hit Mahe An avalanche of mud and rocks fell on the town from the hills It has been estimated that over 70 people lost their lives Albert Street Victoria Seychelles 1900s Church Victoria Seychelles 1900s Clock court treasury Victoria Seychelles 1900s Post office clock tower Victoria Seychelles 1900s Postcard Mahe 1903 Queen Victoria Memorial Seychelles 1900s jpg Royal Street Victoria Seychelles 1900s jpg Supreme Court Seychelles 1900s Victoria buildings Seychelles 1900s Victoria Seychelles 1900s Victoria Street Victoria Seychelles 1900s Library of Seychelles opening 1910 jpgCrown Colony Edit Flag of Seychelles 1903 1961 Seychellois officials wanted Seychelles to organized as a separate autonomous colony within the British Empire and the authorities in the mother colony Mauritius supported them Sir Arthur Gordon the Mauritian governor sent a petition on their behalf to London Concessions were made but Seychelles did not become a Crown Colony in its own right until 1903 when its first Governor Sir Ernest Bickham Sweet Escott took office Befitting its new status the colony acquired a botanical garden and a clock tower in the heart of Victoria The French language and culture remained dominant however The British like the French before them saw Seychelles as a useful place to exile troublesome political prisoners Over the years Seychelles became a home to prisoners from Zanzibar Egypt Cyprus and Palestine to name but a few The first in the line of exiles was Sultan Abdullah a sultan in Perak including Lela Pandak Lam the ex chief of Pasir Salak in Perak who arrived in 1875 after their implication in the murder of the British Resident of Perak JW Birch Like many of the exiles who followed they settled well into Seychelles life and became genuinely fond of the islands Sultan Abdullah s son took home with him one of the popular local French tunes by the islanders la rosale and incorporated it into the national anthem of his country With new words it later became Negaraku the national anthem of Malaysia Perhaps the most famous of the political prisoners was Archbishop Makarios from Cyprus who arrived in 1956 He likewise fell in love with his prison When our ship leaves harbour he wrote we shall take with us many good and kindly memories of the Seychelles may God bless them all World War I caused great hardship in the islands Ships could not bring in essential goods nor take away exports Wages fell prices soared by 150 percent Many turned to crime and the prisons were bursting Joining the Seychelles Labour Contingent formed at the request of General Smuts seemed to offer an escape It was no easy option however The force 800 strong was sent to East Africa After just five months so many had died from dysentery malaria and beriberi that the corps was sent home In all 335 men died By the end of World War I the population of Seychelles was 24 000 and they were feeling neglected by Great Britain There was agitation from the newly formed Planters Association for greater representation in the governance of Seychelles affairs After 1929 a more liberal flow of funds was ensured by the Colonial Development Act but it was a time of economic depression the price of copra was falling and so were wages Workers petitioned the government about their poor working conditions and the burden of tax they had to bear Governor Sir Arthur Grimble instigated some reforms exempting lower income groups from taxation He was keen to create model housing and distribute smallholdings for the landless Many of his reforms were not approved until World War II had broken out and everything was put on hold The Planters Association lobbied for the white landowners but until 1937 those who worked for them had no voice The League of Coloured Peoples was formed to demand a minimum wage a wage tribunal and free health care for all During World War II a seaplane depot was established on St Anne to monitor regional shipping A garrison was stationed in the islands and a battery built at Pointe Conan to protect the harbour Some 2 000 Seychellois men served in the Pioneer Companies in Egypt Palestine and Italy At home Seychelles had turmoil of its own The first political party the Taxpayers Association was formed in 1939 A British governor described it as the embodiment of every reactionary force in Seychelles and it was entirely concerned with protecting the interests of the plantocracy After the war they also benefited by being granted the vote which was limited to literate property owners just 2 000 in a population of 36 000 At the first elections in 1948 most of those elected to the Legislative Council were predictably members of the Planters and Taxpayers Association In 1958 the French bought back the Glorioso islands from the Seychelles Lagoon at Cerf Island 1941 Port Glaud to Conception Island 1941 Postage stamp with portrait of Queen Elizabeth II 1954 Victoria s clock tower in 1956Independence Edit Flag of Seychelles 1961 1976 Colonial Governor of the Seychelles inspecting police guard of honour in 1972 Victoria s State House in the 1970s It was not until 1964 that any new political movements were created In that year the Seychelles People s United Party SPUP later Seychelles People s Progressive Front SPPF was formed Led by France Albert Rene they campaigned for socialism and independence from Britain The late James Mancham s Seychelles Democratic Party SDP created the same year by contrast represented businessmen and planters and wanted closer integration with Britain Elections were held in 1966 won by the SDP In March 1970 colonial and political representatives of Seychelles met in London for a constitutional convention with the Seychelles Democratic Party SDP of James Mancham advocating closer integration with the UK and the Seychelles People s United Party SPUP of France Albert Rene advocating independence Further elections in November 1970 brought a new constitution into effect with Mancham as Chief Minister Further elections were held in April 1974 in which both major political parties campaigned for independence Following this election negotiations with the British resulted in an agreement under which the Seychelles became an independent republic within the Commonwealth on June 29 1976 The newly knighted Sir James Mancham became the country s first President with Rene as Prime Minister These negotiations also restored the islands of Aldabra Farquhar and Des Roches which had been transferred from Seychelles in November 1965 to form part of the new British Indian Ocean Territory BIOT to Seychelles upon independence Boy with coconuts Seychelles Cinnamon quill maker Seychelles Coconut oil making Seychelles Coconut plantation worker Seychelles Colourful Skirts at Seychelles Market Cutting coconuts Seychelles Farmer house Seychelles Fish market Seychelles Fisherman and his catch Fisherman Seychelles Fishermen pirogue Seychelles Mahe Beauvallon Fishing On The Beach Market scene Seychelles Seychelles man with fish Seychelloise fish trapOne party state EditRepublic of Seychelles1977 2004 Flag Coat of arms CapitalVictoriaGovernmentUnitary one party socialist republicPresident 1977 2004France Albert ReneLegislaturePeople s AssemblyHistory 1977 Coup4 5 June 1977 James Michel became president14 July 2004CurrencyRoupieISO 3166 codeSCToday part ofSeychelles France Albert Rene Seychelloi president 1977 2004 On June 5 1977 a coup d etat saw Mancham deposed while overseas and France Albert Rene became president The Seychelles became a one party state with the SPUP becoming the Seychelles People s Progressive Front SPPF History Edit In 1981 the country experienced a failed coup attempt by Mike Hoare and a team of South African backed mercenaries The author John Perkins has alleged that this was part of a covert action to re install the pro American former president in the face of concerns about United States access to its military bases in Diego Garcia 3 better source needed The government was threatened again by an army mutiny in August 1982 but it was quelled after 2 days when loyal troops reinforced by Tanzanian forces amp several of the mercenaries that had escaped from the prison 4 recaptured the rebel held installations Gerard Hoarau of the exiled opposition was head of the Mouvement Pour La Resistance MPR 5 His opposition to the dictatorship of Rene was based in London and he was assassinated on 29 November 1985 by an unidentified gunman on the doorstep of his London home Hoarau is buried in London The SPPF instituted a number of reforms including universal access to education and healthcare as well as environmental reforms During this period the Seychelles developed rapidly to the point that it became the most developed country in Africa on the Human Development Index The situation for Seychellois Creole people who constitute the majority of the nation s population also improved significantly due to domestic policies implemented by President Rene aimed at racial equity However the white minority mainly Franco Seychellois still occupied most important posts ministerial and parliamentary in the state administration and dominated the ranks of the party leadership 6 In 1985 after the assassination of Hoarau the Seychelles community in exile put together a program titled SIROP Seychelles International Repatriation and Onward Program In February 1992 Conrad Gresle a local accountant landowner and advocate of multi party democracy in Seychelles was arrested and charged with treason for allegedly planning to overthrow President Rene s regime with the apparent aid of foreign mercenaries and with supposed CIA involvement Gresle died in Seychelles in July 1993 and is survived by his wife Sylvia son Neville and daughters Natasha and Yvette Gresle 7 A number of Seychellois were displaced and exiled by the dictatorship The Gresle family were one of a few landowners of largely French descent to remain after the coup d etat of 1977 most had their land confiscated and were exiled Any individual who publicly resisted the Rene regime was vulnerable to threats intimidation or exile throughout the 1980s Disappearances and what appear to be politically motivated killing did take place but these are not officially documented or acknowledged citation needed A number of Seychellois families are now calling for official acknowledgement of politically motivated violence subsequent to the 1977 coup Democracy Edit Flag of Seychelles since 1996 Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union at an Extraordinary Congress of the Seychelles People s Progressive Front SPPF on 4 December 1991 President Rene announced a return to the multiparty system of government after almost 16 years of one party rule On 27 December 1991 the Constitution of Seychelles was amended to allow for the registration of political parties Among the exiles returning to Seychelles was James Mancham who returned in April 1992 to revive his party the Democratic Party DP By the end of that month eight political parties had registered to contest the first stage of the transition process election to the constitutional commission which took place on 23 26 July 1992 The constitutional commission was made up of 22 elected members 14 from the SPPF and 8 from the DP It commenced work on 27 August 1992 with both President Rene and Mancham calling for national reconciliation and consensus on a new democratic constitution A consensus text was agreed upon on 7 May 1993 and a referendum to approve it was called for 15 18 June The draft was approved with 73 9 of the electorate in favor of it and 24 1 against The first multiparty presidential and legislative elections held under the new constitution was held between 23 26 July 1993 as well as a resounding victory for President Rene Three political groups contested the elections the SPPF the DP and the United Opposition UO a coalition of three smaller political parties including Parti Seselwa Two other smaller opposition parties threw in their lot with the DP All participating parties and international observer groups accepted the results as free and fair Three candidates contested the 20 22 March 1998 presidential election France Albert Rene of the SPPF James Mancham of the DP and Wavel Ramkalawan President Rene and his SPPF won by a landslide The president s popularity in elections jumped to 66 6 in 1998 from 59 5 in 1993 while the SPPF garnered 61 7 of the total votes cast in the 1998 National Assembly election compared to 56 5 in 1993 In 1999 Mancham switched to the centrist liberal Seychelles National Party SNP which emerged as the major opposition party losing to the SPPF in 2002 parliamentary election with 42 of the vote In 2004 Rene turned the presidency over to his former vice president and long time comrade James Michel Michel won the 2006 presidential election against SNP leader Ramkalawan with 53 5 of the vote The former vice president Danny Faure was sworn in as president on October 16th 2016 following the surprise resignation of James Michel 8 On 26th October 2020 the opposition took power in the Seychelles for the first time since 1977 following its victory in the presidential election Anglican priest Wavel Ramkalawan defeated President Danny Faure by 54 9 to 43 5 9 The election of the National Assembly was held on the 22 24 October 2020 The Seychelles National Party the Seychelles Party for Social Justice and Democracy and the Seychelles United Party formed a coalition Linyon Demokratik Seselwa LDS LDS won 25 seats and the former ruling party United Seychelles US Formerly Parti Lepep Seychelles People s Progressive Front won 10 seats of the 35 seats of the National Assembly 10 See also EditHistory of Africa List of colonial governors of Seychelles List of presidents of Seychelles Vice President of Seychelles Politics of Seychelles Prime Minister of SeychellesReferences Edit Coen 1974 Fauvel Albert Auguste Unpublished Documents on the History of the Seychelles Islands Anterior to 1810 Government Printing Office Mahe Seychelles via the World Digital Library Archived from the original on 2014 07 07 Retrieved 2014 06 19 John Perkins on The Secret History of the American Empire Economic Hit Men Jackals and the Truth about Global Corruption Democracy Now 5 June 2007 Archived from the original on 13 June 2007 Retrieved 2007 06 06 SABC 14 June 2011 TRC Episode 74 Part 05 Archived from the original on 14 May 2018 via YouTube AROUND THE WORLD Exiled Seychelles Leader Is Shot Dead in London New York Times November 30 1985 Archived from the original on August 28 2016 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices Report Submitted to the Committee on Foreign Affairs U S House of Representatives and Committee on Foreign Relations U S Senate by the Department of State in Accordance with Sections 116 d and 502B b of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 as Amended Volumes 8 15 U S Government Printing Office 1997 ISBN 0160541905 James Mancham Seychelles Personalities of Yesterday Seychelles Mahe Publications 2005 Danny Faure sworn in as new president Seychelles election Wavel Ramkalawan in landmark win BBC News 25 October 2020 EISA Seychelles 2020 National Assembly election results overview Further reading EditGeorge Bennett compiler with the collaboration of Pramila Ramgulam Bennett 1993 Seychelles Santa Barbara California Clio Press ISBN 0 585 06169 6 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link J Coen The Seychelles History Today Nov 1974 Vol 24 Issue 11 pp 799 803 online William McAteer 2000 The history of Seychelles from discovery to independence Mahe Seychelles Pristine Books ISBN 99931 809 0 4 Francis MacGregor 2004 A parliamentary history of Seychelles Seychelles F E MacGregor ISBN 99931 60 00 8 Deryck Scarr 2000 Seychelles since 1770 a history of slave and post slavery society London Hurst ISBN 1 85065 364 X External links EditBackground Note Seychelles Seychelles History A History of Seychelles flags Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title History of Seychelles amp oldid 1149457063, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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